Independent Researcher Digitizes 703 Inka Khipus in World's Largest Database

Khipu (Quipu) Field Guide

The Khipu Field Guide, created by independent researcher Ashok Khosla, offers detailed schematics and computational analyses of over 700 Inka khipus—the knotted-cord records of the Inka empire. The site includes a guidebook, a searchable sketchbook, and a notebook revealing decipherment patterns, with some findings published in Latin American Antiquity. It democratizes access to khipu research and builds on prior work by scholars like the Aschers and Carrie Brezine.